An appellate court sitting in Lagos, on Friday, upheld the election of Barr Peter Mbah as the governor of Enugu State.

The judgement was delivered by a three-man panel of the Appeal Court in a case filed by Barr Chijioke Edeoga of the Labour Party, LP.

The court affirmed the judgment of Enugu Tribunal delivered on September 9, 2023, by the Hon. Justice K.M. Akano led tribunal.

All the three issues which were subject of the appeal were resolved in favour of Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

More to come…

[DailyPost]

President Bola Tinubu on Friday described the death of  Nigeria’s first female Major-General, Aderonke Kale, as a painful loss to the country.

Kale, also the first female Commander of the Nigerian Army Medical Corps died on Thurday at the age of 84.

Tinubu, in a condolence statement signed by his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Ajuri Ngelale, also sympathised with the Kale family, the Nigerian Army, and the society of medical practitioners in Nigeria on the passing away of one of their own.

Tinubu stated that as a pioneer in her field, the late Major General ” embodied the courage, professionalism, capacity, and resilience of the Nigerian woman”

The President prayed for the repose of the soul of the late officer and encouraged her beloved family to take solace in the peerless legacy she left behind.

[Punch]

The attention of the Leader of Afenifere, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, OFR and other leaders of the apex Yoruba body has been drawn to a communique purportedly released in the name of Afenifere by the General Secretary, Chief Sola Ebiseni, where Afenifere is said to fault the Supreme Court judgement upholding Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu's election as the President of Nigeria.

This is far from the truth about Afenifere's leadership position on the matter. Let it be on record that Afenifere leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, OFR and other Afenifere leaders are not privy to such ignominious press release, did not authorise it and do not subscribe to the seditious act such may portend.

It is merely an unfortunate misadventure of some Labour Party elements within the Afenifere fold who would rather drag the body's reputation in the mud to achieve whatever sinister and seditious end they might have concocted.

The world will recall that the Leader of Afenifere himself, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, OFR had congratulated the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces on his election into office, and also expressed solidarity over his victory at the apex court.

It is then clearly underhanded and mischievous to have such preposterous attack on the judiciary by intemperate elements within the fold, fanning the embers of national discords with political motives, using the name of Afenifere.

We are unequivocal in reiterating that Pa Ayo Adebanjo is the Acting Leader, who, in the natural and traditional order of Afenifere, is expected to defer to his leader who appointed him, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, OFR without reservations.

To do otherwise is to tread such ignoble path in national discourse as this unfortunate release reveals. The meeting recently held in Ogbo Ijebu, at no point raised or decided on the attack on the judiciary as the statements of the General Secretary seemed to portray.

The leaders of Afenifere would like to challenge Chief Ebiseni to offer the world, the true record of deliberations at the said meeting to confirm its concurrence with the communique he so released to the world. Afenifere believes that it is time for real governance beyond the politicking that the judiciary has sealed with the Supreme Court judgement.

We look forward to good governance from the federal, state and local governments, and are prepared to offer constructive feedback, counsel and criticism in the quest for a better Nigeria, and a prosperous nation with viable federating entities.

The ethos and structure of Afenifere vest the leadership authority in the Leader as the Olori Ebi, until such time that he joins his forebears, notwithstanding whoever he has chosen to act on his behalf. Pa Adebanjo is an acting capacity, hence finality rests with the Leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, OFR. Lai ku egiri, enikan o gbodo fi awo e se gbedu.

Otunba Kole Omololu

National Organising Secretary – Afenifere

The Appeal Court, Lagos Division, on Thursday, reaffirmed Thaddeus Attah of the Labour Party as the duly elected House of Representatives member representing Eti Osa Federal Constituency in Lagos State.

The National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal which sat at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos, had earlier invalidated Atta’s victory. Attah who hails from Ekperi in Etsako Central LGA of State briefed Prof Mike Ozekhome, SAN, to appeal against the tribunal judgment on his behalf. Ozekhome filed and argued the appeal before the three-member panel of the Court of Appeal,which on Thursday in Lagos set aside the previous decision by the National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal.

The panel, in its unanimous decision, agreed with Ozekhome and held that the lower tribunal erred when it relied on the evidence of witnesses who were not party agents where elections were held or where elections were cancelled,but only came to tender Form EC 8 which they did not author before the court.

The appellate court further held that for the tribunal to conclude that the margin of votes where elections were not held or were cancelled can sway the votes cast, the list of registered voters must be presented before it. This was not done.
In addition, the court held that the “Voters’ register was never placed before the lower tribunal", adding that the tribunal merely relied on Form EC 8 brought by witnesses who were not even the makers.

The court also held that the elections were conclusive and faulted the tribunal’s directive to the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct a supplementary election within 90 days in specific polling units.
On the whole, the Appeal Court wholly set aside the judgment of the lower tribunal.
The National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos, had, in a unanimous judgment, declared the elections inconclusive and ordered INEC to conduct a supplementary election within 90 days in 33 polling units where elections did not hold.
The Peoples Democratic Party candidate Bankole Wellington (Banky W), who was declared second in the polls, and the All Progressives Congress’s Ibrahim Obanikoro, had both filed petitions to challenge the elections of February 25, 2023.
INEC had declared Attah winner of the February 25 election, having scored 24,075 votes, while Banky W who was represented at the Court of Appeal by Chief Kemi Pinhero,SAN, scored 18,668; Obanikoro represented by Chief Abiodun Owoniko, SAN, scored 16,901 votes, respectively.
In his petition, Banky W had argued that the respondent was, at the time of the election, not qualified to contest the election and that the election was invalid because of corrupt practices and non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.
The popular music artist and actor had also contended that the Labour Party candidate was not duly elected by a majority of the lawful votes cast at the election.
Reacting to the judgment, Ibrahim Obanikoro in his X handle formerly Twitter, said, “I would like to congratulate Representative Jude Thaddeus Attah on his victory at the appeal court today.

“Let’s throw our support for him so that he will give us a good representation for the next four years in Eti-Osa.”